Diaper holding garment



Oct; 19, I954 E.E. BERNARD DIAPER HOLDING GARMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 20, 1952 INVENTOR AQTTORNEYS EDITH E. BERNARD FIG Oct. 19, 1954 BERNARD DIAPER HOLDING GARMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 20, 1952 FIG. 7.

FIG. 9.

INVENTOR EDITH E. BERNARD M W ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 19, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DIAPER HOLDING GARMENT Edith E. Bernard, South Pasadena, Calif.

Application October 20, 1952, Serial No. 315,746

4 Claims. 1

This invention has to do with diaper-holding garments.

While diaper holders have been proposed, those of which I am aware have had the shortcomings that it is relatively difiicult to insert and remove the diaper element and, in use, the holder tends to slip down on the legs of the infant, thus rendering the diaper somewhat ineffective and making the garment uncomfortable.

Another difficulty with known holders of this character has been the lack of any provision for maintaining the diaper-retaining elements in efficient retaining position or in tension.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved diaper-holding garment which has provision for easily inserting and removing the diaper and which, when in use, positively holds the diaper element in the most efficient and comfortable position.

It is also an object to provide a garment of this character which is capable of being made attractive in appearance and comfortable to wear.

Another object is to provide a garment wherein the diaper-retaining element is detachably carried by the outer supporting garment to permit its easy removal for laundering purposes,

Other objects and corresponding advantages will appear from the following description of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, for which purpose I shall refer to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved garment in the position which it assumes when being Worn;

Fig. 2 is a plan view;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating a modification;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged medial longitudinal section;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged side elevation of a portion of the retainer element;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a further modified form of garment with the diaper retainer element removed;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the detachable diaper retainer of the modified embodiment; and

Fig. 9 is "an enlarged longitudinal fragmentary medial section of the modified embodiment.

Referring now to the drawings (Figs. 1-6), 5 denotes the main body portion which, in plan, is somewhat I-shaped so that it has a relatively narrow central portion and lateral or wing-like portions 1, 1a, 8, 8a. The main body portion has an outer fabric sheet I5 which may be made of any fabric suitable for baby garments, such as rayon or cotton, and a lining iii of a waterproof or water-repellant fabric. The inner and outer sheets [6, Iii, are secured together along their margins by conventional stitching ll.

Cooperating snap fastener elements 29, 2i are carried by the marginal end portions of the body, so that when the garment is in the position which it occupies when being worn (Fig. 1), the fasteners secure the wing portions 77, la, 8 8a together in overlapping relation about the Waist of the wearer.

To form a pocket for receiving and holding a conventional diaper D, I provide a pair of opposed retainer elements 25, 25a, each of which, as best illustrated in Fig. 3, comprises a side strip 27, which tapers from its center towards its ends, and a top or inner strip 28, secured together along their hemmed marginal portions by conventional stitching 38. The side strip 2i" is se-- cured to the body layers 55, it by stitching 3i, and the inner margin of the strip 28 preferably curves inwardly and is hemmed and stitched at 32. Elements 25, 25a are made of a suitable waterproof or water-repellant material. While I have described in detail only one of the retainer elements, it will be understood that both are of like construction except that they are mounted in opposed relationship so that the pocket P is defined by strips l6, 2'! and 28.

It will be observed that the top or inner strips 28 are separate strips which extend from end to end of the body and preferably are slightly separated at their ends, which greatly facilitates inserting and removing the diaper D and at the same time the diaper is securely held in place while in use.

In a modification of the invention, as shown in Fig. 4, I may stitch to the marginal ends of the body a pair of fabric tabs 35 (one at each end of the body) to which the ends of the diaper may be pinned.

A bib-like member ll] is provided at one end of the body-that end of the body which provides the front of the garment-and preferably is an integral end extension of the body, the marginal end portions of the bib-like member being provided with button-holes :22.

To positively hold the body 5 and its carried diaper D firmly in position and to hold the contiguous inner marginal portions of the strips 28 in tension while the garment is being worn, I provide a pair of suspender straps Q5, one of which is secured at its imier end to the body at the end of one of the retainer strips 28 and the other of which is secured at its inner end to the body at the inner end of the other of the retainer strips. Each of these straps is provided at its outer end with a button 41, by which the straps are secured to the bib-like member by inserting the buttons through the button-holes 42. It is of course obvious that the buttons could be mounted on the bib-like member while the button-holes may be provided in the suspender straps. Thus the line of pull exerted by the suspender straps is such that the retainer strips 28 are drawn somewhat in tension along their inner edges to insure the positive and even retention of the diaper elements in position.

In use, the diaper D is inserted in the pocket P and the narrow body portion '8 is then inserted between the legs of the infant while the end portions of the body are brought up and fastened together in waist-encircling position by means of the fastener elements 20, 2|, after which the suspender straps are secured to the bib-like member. The garment then assumes the position of Fig. 1 in which it has the appearance of a sunsuit.

In Figs. 7-9 I show a further modification, Here the outer or retainer supporting garment 15a is shaped and constructed as before described, having side extensions lb, 10, 8b, 80, a narrow central portion 6a, bib eta having button-holes 42a, suspender straps 45a having buttons tie. and cooperating fastener elements 29a, 2 la. However, here the diaper-retaining element (Fig. 8) is made separate from the body portion, cemprising a bottom sheet 16a, side strips 21a and top strips 250.

To detachably secure the diaper-retaining element to the outer garment, the latter is provided with end and side fastener elements while the ends of the retainer element and the bottom sheet [6a are provided with fastener elements 52 which cooperate with fastener elements 5!. Thus it is possible easily to detach the retainer element for laundering or to render the outer garment wearable as a sunsuit without the diaper retainer.

I claim: 1. In a diaper holding garment, an elongated body having a relatively narrow portion intermediate its ends arranged to extend between the legs of a wearer and having relatively wide end portions arranged to extend about the waist of said wearer, and means providing a diaper receiving pocket overlying said body, comprising a pair of side sheets spaced apart transversely of said body and having their bottom edges secured to said body, and a pair of separate top sheets extending from end to end of said body and secured at their ends to the end portions of said body and secured along their outer side edges to the top side edges of said respective side sheets; the inner side edges of said top sheets terminating at the respective ends of the body at the longitudinal axis thereof and being oppositely curved outwardly and thence inwardly between their ends whereby to define a substantially ovate-shaped access opening to said pocket extending from end to end of the body.

2. In a diaper holding garment, an elongated body having a relatively narrow portion intermediate its ends arranged to extend between the legs of a wearer and having relatively wide end portions arranged to extend about the waist of said wearer, and means providing a diaper receiving pocket overlying said body, comprising a pair of side sheets spaced apart transversely of said body and having their bottom edges secured to said body, and a pair of separate top sheets extending from end to end of said body and secured at their ends to the end portions of said body and secured along their outer side edges to the top side edges of said respective side sheets; the inner side edges of said top sheets terminating at the respective ends of the body at the longitudinal axis thereof and being oppositely curved outwardly and thence inwardly between their ends'whereby to define a substantially ovateshaped access opening to said pocket extending from end to end of the body, and a pair of suspender straps for supporting said garment upon said wearer, said suspender straps being connected to one end of said body in position substantially in side edge to side edge abutting relationship at the longitudinal axis of said body whereby to exert longitudinal tension on said top sheets along their inner side edges.

3. In a diaper holding garment, an elongated body having a relatively narrow portion intermediate its ends arranged to extend between the legs of a wearer and having relatively wide end portions arranged to extend about the waist of said wearer, and means providing a diaper receiving pocket overlying said body, comprising a bottom sheet of a length equal the length of the body and superimposed upon and secured to said body, a pair of side sheets secured along their bottom side edges to the respective side edges of said bottom sheet, and a pair of separate top sheets extending from end to end of said body and secured. at their ends to the end portions of said bottom sheet and secured along their outer side edges to the top side edges of said respective side sheets; the inner side edges of said top sheets terminating at the respective ends of the body at the longitudinal axis thereof and being oppositely curved. outwardly and thence inwardly between their ends whereby to define a substantially ovate-shaped access opening to said pocket extending from end to end of the body.

4. In a diaper holding garment, an elongated body having a relatively narrow portion intermediate its ends arranged to extend between the legs of a wearer and having relatively Wide end portions arranged to extend about the waist of said wearer, and means providing a diaper receiving pocket overlying said body, comprising a bottom sheet of a length equal the length of the body and superimposed upon and secured to said body, a pair of side sheets secured along their bottom side edges to the respective side edges of said bottom sheet, and a pair of separate top sheets extending from end to end of said body and secured at their ends to the end portions of said bottom sheet and secured along their outer side edges to the top side edges of said respective side sheets; the inner side edges of said top sheets terminating at the respective ends of the body at the longitudinal axis thereof and being oppositely curved. outwardly and thence inwardly between their ends whereby to define a substantially ovate-shaped access opening to said pocket extending from end to end of the body; and a pair of suspender straps so arranged on and connected to said body as to exert tension along the'longitudinal axis thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

